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Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:39:17 +0000en-UShourly1http://www.surfandsunshine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cropped-logo-300-60x60.pnghttp://www.surfandsunshine.com
3232SurfAndSunshinehttps://feedburner.google.comBecause Kia Knows You’re a Present Peekerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/9VC2GIn8tI8/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/2017-kia-niro/#respondFri, 09 Dec 2016 21:14:54 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=77126Have you always tried to sneak a peek at your presents? Does the curiosity and excitement get the best of you and suddenly, you find yourself shaking gifts and trying to peel away wrapping paper to figure out what you are going to get? Many of us just can’t wait to ...

]]>Have you always tried to sneak a peek at your presents? Does the curiosity and excitement get the best of you and suddenly, you find yourself shaking gifts and trying to peel away wrapping paper to figure out what you are going to get? Many of us just can’t wait to see what treasures and wonderful things have been neatly wrapped and have been left under the tree…vulnerable and easily accessible when no one is looking. Well, Kia knows you love to get a glimpse of the goods so they have come up with an incredible way to give you a sneak peek inside the new 2017 Kia Niro.

The NiroBot, developed and implemented by Ansible, is an actual robot that will tell you all you want to know about the Niro. Using Facebook Messenger, you can chat with the NiroBot to ask questions, see galleries, and get real time info on this exciting new addition to Kia’s green car lineup.

The 2017 Kia Niro is a Hybrid Crossover Utility Vehicle. It will be available for sale by the end of 2016 at the earliest, and Kia has yet again hit the bull’s eye with its cutting edge craftsmanship. This crossover has a hybrid powertrain that gives the Niro an estimated 50 mpg! The lighter design and aerodynamic shape have made it an energy saving monster which will take you further. Even with is refined manufacturing don’t think for a second that it won’t deliver a powerful punch. The hybrid exclusive engine is accompanied by a 43 hp electric motor and lithium-ion polymer battery which allows an unexpectedly smooth ride without sacrificing reliability.

While you cruise, the Niro has you covered on every front. It is packed with safety features and essentials that make life on-the-go just a little easier. Wireless charging and auto defog are just a couple of the great elements that will make you feel as if you can’t live without this car.

It has brains and brawn, but Kia hasn’t forgotten about beauty. The muscled exterior will make you feel like a rock star, and the interior has more storage, six interior trim options, a clean air system and extra treats to choose from like a heated steering wheel. While so many competitors have focused on what is good for their brand, Kia is always working on what is good for their customers. Creating works of art that provide functionality, efficiency, and an affordable price tag is what has made Kia one of the eight largest car companies in the United States.

Kia knows what their customers want in a car, and before the Niro is even hitting the dealerships, they want the world to get a glimpse of what they are bringing to the table. Use the free Nirobot on Facebook Messenger to sneak a peek at the car that is just a taste of what Kia will be introducing in 2017. You can ask questions about the car, the company, and how you can get your hands on a Niro.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/2017-kia-niro/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/2017-kia-niro/Unique Holiday Traditions From Around The Worldhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/a5TE9f-w8ko/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/unique-holiday-traditions-around-world/#respondThu, 08 Dec 2016 15:41:00 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76761A serious case of wanderlust leaves one viewing holidays as the perfect time to travel. Wouldn’t it be interesting to experience the holidays in a different part of the world each year? As one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, Christmas, as we know it today, is a ...

]]>A serious case of wanderlust leaves one viewing holidays as the perfect time to travel. Wouldn’t it be interesting to experience the holidays in a different part of the world each year? As one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, Christmas, as we know it today, is a melting pot of secular and religious traditions from around the globe. Check out these unique holiday traditions from different corners of the earth.

Unique Holiday Traditions in South Africa

Turkeys in South Africa rejoice on Christmas Day as locals dine on delicacies of deep-fried caterpillars and Emporer Moths.

Unique Holiday Traditions in Austria

In the US children work hard to make Santa’s Nice List and impress Elf on the Shelf. In Austria they prefer to take a more menacing route with Krampus. Krampus an anthropomorphic figure described as “half-goat, half-demon”, who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved. Coal looks pretty good right about now, right?

Unique Christmas Traditions in Caracas, Venezuela

Christmas Mass is a common tradition around the globe. However, in Caracas, Venezuela church-goers arrive on roller skates. The city cuts off vehicle access to the city before 8 a.m. allowing the entire city to safely make their commute on skates.

Unique Holiday Traditions in Germany

Each year on December 6, Germans remember the death of Nicholas of Myra (now the Anatolia region of modern Turkey), who died on that day in 346. He was a Greek Christian bishop known for miracles and giving gifts secretly and is now the patron saint of little children, sailors, merchants and students.

Unique Christmas Traditions in Ukraine

At first, the Ukrainian tradition of adding spider webs to the Christmas tree may seem odd but it is based on an old folktale in which a poor mother and her children had no decorations for their Christmas tree. Hearing their cries spiders decorated their tree overnight and upon waking the widow and her children saw the way morning light danced across the webs. From that day forward the widow never felt poor, instead, she was always grateful for all the wonderful gifts she already had in life. It’s believed that the webs will bring good fortune and luck for the upcoming year.

Unique Holiday Traditions in Norway

All work ceases on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and the family put on their finery for the occasion in Norway. Families get together to make up decorations for the Christmas tree.

For the superstitious, all the brooms in the house are hidden. Norwegians long ago believed that witches and mischievous spirits come out on Christmas Eve and would steal their brooms for riding.

Nisse, a little gnome who guards all the farm animals is another superstition. Norwegian children believe if they do not place a bowl of special porridge for Nisse, he will play tricks them.

Unique Holiday Traditions in Italy

On January 5th, children across Italy await the arrival of Befana, an old and ugly – but friendly – witch who will bring them toys and delicious sweets.

Unique Holiday Traditions in Iceland

In Iceland, Christmas starts at 6 pm on Christmas Eve, December 24th, and the festivities last until the Thirteenth Day (Twelfth Night), which falls on January the 6th. On the night before December 12th it is customary for Icelandic children to put one of their shoes in the window. The shoe stays on the window sill until Christmas, and the children hope that the Yule Lads, who come into town from the mountains one by one on the nights leading up to Christmas, will leave a little something for them in the shoe. Only well-behaved children earn gifts, those who are not, find a potato in their shoe.

Unique Holiday Traditions in Scotland

New Year’s celebrations in Scotland are even bigger than that of Christmas. December 25th is a day for quiet reflection for family. It’s New Years Celebration, or Hogmanay as it’s called, is a loud, joy-filled celebration. One of the most important traditions is called First-Footing. Once midnight strikes and the calendar flips to January 1st, all eyes await the arrival of the year’s first visitor.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/best-ugly-christmas-sweaters/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/best-ugly-christmas-sweaters/A Life Devoted to Helping Grieving Familieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/CNh2BVrMDsI/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/a-life-devoted-to-helping-grieving-families/#respondThu, 01 Dec 2016 21:48:59 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76985Do you feel as if you have a purpose? Most people find meaning in the many layers of life; raising children is a lifelong dedication, jobs fill our days with tasks and challenges, charity work makes us feel good about giving, but do you feel as if you are truly ...

]]>Do you feel as if you have a purpose? Most people find meaning in the many layers of life; raising children is a lifelong dedication, jobs fill our days with tasks and challenges, charity work makes us feel good about giving, but do you feel as if you are truly touching the lives of others? Are you helping make the world a better place?

I have contemplated this question for most of my adult life, and while parts of my world give me fulfillment, I don’t know if it is enough to call it “purpose”. As I move through life, I often meet other women that inspire me to reach for more and to continue my search for deeper meaning. I had the privilege of meeting with a woman that has dedicated her life to supporting families during one of the most difficult times parents can face. Jestine Garcia works in a birthing center where she provides support to parents that have lost a child.

She wakes to each day with the heavy realization that she is the guiding hand for parents that have had their world ripped apart. She is the saving grace to families that are facing a harsh reality, she is the strength when a grieving mother must rest, and she is the memory keeper patiently waiting, sometimes years, for parents to be ready to accept the few keepsakes of a child they did not get to bring home.

Jestine was kind enough to answer some questions about her position in the birthing center, and how her work has affected her path in life. Her humble grace is evident in her carefully chosen words, but it is the note of conviction and unmovable strength in her voice that hints at the profound fulfillment she receives from her work. This is what I imagine it must feel like to know you have found purpose. I think it is important to share the stories of women such as Jestine to celebrate her work as well as inspire other women to keep searching for that job that speaks to your soul.

How did you get started in this position?

A wife who loses a husband is called a widow. A husband who loses a wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan. But…there is no word for a parent who loses a child, that’s how awful the loss is. One day I thought to myself as I watched a family grieving over the loss of their child, What more could I do to help these families? I went to Resolve Through Sharing training (Prenatal Infant Loss Bereavement) at the Gundersen Hospital in Wisconsin. At that time I knew this is where my ability to talk to anyone no matter what the situation was meant to be used. I started at Otsego Memorial Hospital In 2008, and moved to the Birthing Center in January 2013.

Describe the services you offer for parents that have experienced a loss.

I meet the families and explain to them what I will do to help them in their difficult time. Many parents have no idea what to think, how to think, or where to turn. Is how I’m feeling wrong? Should I hold me baby? They have so many questions, and that’s where I step in and help them make those tough choices. I contact funeral homes for them and arrange transportation. I work alongside some amazing funeral homes that are more than willing to help me in anyway possible. Even if it’s 3 a.m. when I am calling them, they always pick up the phone. I have some awesome friends, family and people that also donate things for the families. I couldn’t do it without their help for sure. Regardless of the baby’s gestation, you will walk out of my services knowing your baby was important. In addition, I also give the family:

Hand and foot molds

Foot and hand prints

Bracelets/ key chains

Blankets/ clothing for the child

Memorial hearts

Measurements

Locks of hair

Keepsakes for siblings

Items for Grandparents

Angel bears

A variety of handouts for family to understand the different ways people grieve

Coping tools to go back to work

Help with handling the holidays

Memorial services

Did you ever think you would have a career like this?

I never thought I would have been able to do this job. After I worked with the first family, I knew deep in my heart I had to do this for the families going through one of the most difficult times in their life. My job is so rewarding in so many ways and more than anything, it makes me a humble person. I treat the families as I would want to be treated in a time like this. Each family teaches me something new that I am able to carry forth and better myself within this position. I am blessed to have my families trust me during such a heart wrenching time. I always want my families to leave here knowing their baby and family will forever be in my heart. Moreover, those who seek to comfort grieving parents need to recognize and understand the complexities of the parents’ emotions and should avoid relying on preconceived ideas about the way a couple is supposed to grieve if their child dies. Reactions of grieving parents may seem overly intense, self-absorbed, contradictory, or even puzzling. For bereaved parents, the death of a child is such an overwhelming event that their responses may often be baffling not only to others but to themselves as well. But in 10 years they will forget my name and face. However, one thing I know is they will never forget the time they lost their baby, and I was there to help them through it.

Why do you suppose it is difficult for parents to discuss their loss? Do you think it is grief and heartache or a combination of emotions and stigmas?

It is said that the grief of bereaved parents is the most intense grief known. When a child dies, parents feel that a part of them has died, that a vital and core part of them has been ripped away. The grief caused by their child’s death is not only painful but profoundly disorienting because children are not supposed to die. These parents are forced to confront an extremely painful and stressful thing. They are faced with a situation in which they must deal both with the grief caused by their child’s death and with their need to continue to live their own lives as fully as possible. Thus, bereaved parents must deal with the contradictory burden of wanting to be free of this overwhelming pain yet, needing it as a reminder of the child who died.

I tell my families the death of a child is probably the most traumatic and devastating experience a couple can face. Although both mothers and fathers grieve deeply when such a tragedy occurs, they grieve differently, and it is most important that each partner give the other permission to grieve as he/she needs. This may be the greatest gift they can give each other.

Do you think it is important for parents to share their experience when they are ready? If so, why?

Absolutely share their experiences. Parental grief is overwhelming. There is nothing that can prepare a parent for its devastation. Parental grief never ends but only changes in intensity and manner of expression. Parental grief affects the head, the heart, and the spirit. For parents, the death of a child means coming to terms with untold emptiness and deep emotional hurt. Immediately after the death, some parents may even find it impossible to express grief at all as many experience a period of shock and numbness. Grieving parents need to know how important it is to express their pain to someone who will understand and acknowledge what they are feeling and saying. They should be honest with themselves and others about how they feel. These parents should allow themselves to cry, be angry, and complain. They need to admit they are overwhelmed, distracted, and unable to focus or concentrate. They may even need to admit to themselves and others that they might show physical and/or emotional symptoms that they don’t want or can’t even understand. Grieving mothers and fathers are bonded by a common sadness. A common experience that you have to share to truly understand.

Have your experiences provided you with more insight about the strength of the human spirit or the bond between mother and child?

Only a parent understands the powerful bond you have with your child; that absolute undying love you have and that monumental desire that roars like an open fire inside you to protect that child at all costs. It is often said that a parent will lay down their life for their child, but it is not until you have your own that you truly understand these fierce emotions. Parenting is wearing your heart on the outside of your body. Whatever you imagine it might be like to have your child die, multiply that by about a trillion and you’re probably not even close.

Has this job changed your outlook on life or how you live day to day?

Yes, in some ways it has. I always seem to hug my daughter way more then she needs to. Her name is Addie she is seven years old. She will say mom I know you love me and tells others, “My mom always hugs me.” Time is precious, and you are never guaranteed a minute.

Has it changed how you parent?

No, I don’t think I have changed as a mother. Addie knows what my job is and isn’t afraid to tell others about how I help families who have lost their baby. Addie has been to many funerals and doesn’t really say much about them. I talk to her about death and that babies go to heaven. I am not afraid to talk to Addie about real life things and what really happens in life.

Was there ever a time or a moment when you thought the job may be too much for you, emotionally?

I have NEVER thought that. Not once. I love my job and God blessed me with this amazing gift to be able to talk to families and help them during the worst time in their life. For that, I am so thankful.

What gives you strength to face such a difficult job?

The sincere thankfulness that these families have when they walk out of the birthing center with the small things I have done for them. Months later in the grocery store or out at an event and they come right over to me and give me a big hug. That is what gives me strength.

Is there anything in the medical community you would like to see change in order to provide better support to parents facing the loss of an infant?

I am trying to get a ER kit that would be able to go home with mothers and help them through this moment in their life when nothing makes sense and they don’t know what to do.

Have you learned anything surprising in your role?

Never judge how someone may grieve: crying, angry, silent, or laughing. Mostly judgement, I have learned a great deal about. Just treat others as you would want to be treated.

What is the most important thing you want parents experiencing loss to know?

Take time with your baby. Take as much time as you need to hold them, kiss them. Make memories with them. Read them their first book or give them their first bath. Ask questions about everything and anything. Always know someone will always be out there to help you through it. It’s a silent community, but it’s a huge community. Talk about it with friends and family.

What is the best advice you can give to people trying to offer comfort and support to loved ones that have experienced a loss?

Do let them express their grief in their own way and listen. Of course there are always times when people would rather be alone.

Do realize that their life has changed irrevocably.

Distance isn’t good. If you can be with someone in those darkest of moments, be there. Your presence is a gift of love that sustains the aching heart, mind and soul.

Do make a call. Even if your friend hasn’t the strength then and there to come to the phone and talk, the message comes back that you care and feel the pain and loss, too.

Do send a note, an email or a card. What do you say? The truth is, there is nothing that can be said. Don’t be hard on yourself for not having words that don’t exist. But you can always say, “I’m so sorry.” You mean it, and that’s what matters.

Jestine’s job is one that many people probably couldn’t devote their lives to doing day after day. However, it is her role that offers hope in the most desperate time for parents, and it is a reminder that some of the hardest jobs are also the most rewarding. Human beings are not meant to be solitary. We need the comfort and support of one another especially when we find ourselves in the depths of despair.

I wanted to share Jestine’s story for those who may be looking for a ray of light in their darkest hour as well as for those wondering if they could give more. As you go through life and experience your own versions of loss and tragedy, remember that you are never alone. There is always someone willing to help and a community of support you may not even realize existed. When you find yourself healing from your grief, return the favor. Maybe it is sharing in our humanity that is the key to finding purpose. We crave the connection of others, of family and friends. It is what makes us feel alive and needed. When we give to others in a meaningful way, it replenishes our soul and provides a sense of peace like nothing else. Thank you to Jestine and all of the amazing people that spend their lives helping those in need.

Jestine would also like to thank the MOPS group, RSVP in Gaylord, OMH birthing center Nurses and Doctors, and the families that have allowed her to work with them and the wisdom they have shared so she can better serve other families.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/a-life-devoted-to-helping-grieving-families/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/a-life-devoted-to-helping-grieving-families/Boot Basics: A Guide to the Styles You Need in Your Closethttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/Djk78shX9dE/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/boot-style-guide/#respondThu, 01 Dec 2016 20:35:04 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=77009If you’re a real shoe fanatic, it can be hard to resist a great pair. However, shopping strategically is the best goal to get more bang for your buck and to max out the versatility of your wardrobe. Of course, you can’t just stop at two or three pairs. That’s ...

]]>If you’re a real shoe fanatic, it can be hard to resist a great pair. However, shopping strategically is the best goal to get more bang for your buck and to max out the versatility of your wardrobe. Of course, you can’t just stop at two or three pairs. That’s perfectly fine—no one’s asking you to. However, if you want to select some great pears that you can mix and match with your other great fashion finds, there’s a few basic styles that you should focus on acquiring.

Ankle Boots: They Go With Everything

It’s no exaggeration to say that ankle boots work well with nearly any outfit in any season. From skinny jeans to dress trousers to dresses, these small wonders are available in almost every color, material and heel height you can imagine. For an amped up look for a night on the town, try a pair with your little black dress. And for a smart casual Friday look at the office, wear them with some dark blue or black classic wash skinny jeans and a blazer with your favorite blouse.

Chelsea Boots: Sophisticated and Modern

This footwear has a distinctly rocker vibe, worn by notables like Jim Morrison, Nico of the Velvet Underground and the Beatles. These days, the iconic boot is now sported by celebs such as Kendall Jenner, Julia Roberts and Kanye West. Most versions have a low heel, so they’re incredibly comfortable for days when you’re running around town. And while the black leather ones were once ubiquitous among hip trendsetters, modern varieties also come in suede and in a wide array of hues. Try them with black skinny jeans or dark-colored cigarette pants, or pair them with a shorter A-line or shift dress for a cool, retro vibe.

Striking Stilettos for Dressier Occasions

There’s nothing like a pair of stilettos to lengthen your leg and boost your height. Opt for versions that end at or above the ankle for a cosmopolitan addition to any upscale, dressy ensemble. And while basic black serves as a great go-to item, tones such as wine, cognac, oxblood and burgundy also provide pizzazz.

Moto Boots Make an Impact

Moto boots have been around for decades as paragons of comfort and style. Some sport straps and buckles across the shaft while others are the lace-up, chunky-sole types sported by punk and post-punk musical pioneers in the ‘70s, ‘80s and 90’s. They’re a great alternative to flats when you’re out and about, serving up decidedly more edge in your look. Pair with feminine touches such as floral prints or lace, or go full-on underground with your street style by wearing them with black skinny jeans, a graphic tee and a leather jacket.

Tall Boots Hit a High Sartorial Note

No boot guide would be complete without a mention of the tall boot, a timeless classic that should be in anyone’s wardrobe. And whether you choose flat versions or ones with a bit of a heel, you’ll get plenty of wear out of them in the colder months. Pair them with skinny jeans to bump up your daytime looks. Alternatively, you might include them with a simple A-line frock, some opaque tights and a few accessories for a put-together yet somewhat casual nine-to-five ensemble. For everyday wear, opt for the calf-height or below-the-knee versions. However, while over-the-knee and thigh-high varieties take some courage to pull off, they can work in some settings—just keep the amount of skin shown between the top of their shafts and your skirt or dress hemline to under five inches, and try topping your outfit with a coat for some effortless sophistication.

Amp Up Your Style With the Right Kind of Boots

With so many versions, materials and colors, you have a lot of reasons to include a wide range of boots in your closet. The decision of which kinds to add to your outfit is just a matter of the look that you wish to achieve. Some reward you with a little extra elegance, while others provide a tougher edge that brings your ensemble up to the next level. Still others are perfect in casual, work or nighttime settings. If you only buy a range of basics to add to your closet, this will still be one of the best fashion investments you can make.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/boot-style-guide/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/boot-style-guide/10 Ways to Make Quick Cash for the Holidayshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/joxQqaIddZE/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/10-ways-to-make-quick-cash-for-the-holidays/#respondWed, 30 Nov 2016 22:15:51 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76902There are only a few weeks left until Christmas…so the number one question is how many paychecks do you have left to buy gifts? Overspending has become just another part of the stress of the holidays. Instead of charging all those gifts, try making some quick cash instead. It might ...

]]>There are only a few weeks left until Christmas…so the number one question is how many paychecks do you have left to buy gifts? Overspending has become just another part of the stress of the holidays. Instead of charging all those gifts, try making some quick cash instead. It might just help you avoid that giant credit card bill doomed to hit your mailbox in January. Here are some ideas to how to make quick cash to ease the pain of the season of debt.

Sell Stuff Online

There are so many places online to sell all that stuff collecting dust around your house. From old laptops to those boots you never took out of the box, you probably have more potential money lying around the house then you might even realize. And just like you, everyone is shopping for gifts so its the perfect time to put your stuff up for sale. Look at similar items to what you are selling to help guide your post and pricing. Start with Amazon, eBay, or Facebook Yard Sale Pages to start selling. There are also apps you can use to sell right from your phone.

Donate Plasma

If you don’t mind needles and are physically healthy, donating plasma is an easy way to make a few bucks. I frequently donated in college, and when I signed up they gave me an actual debit card that would have my money automatically loaded after I donated. While there are stipulations to being a donor and guidelines about how frequently you can donate, it still pays money. Sometimes even a little extra can be a big help.

Cash in Gift Cards

Do you have gift cards from last Christmas lying around that you never spent? It happens to all of us. You get a gift card to a place you would never shop and would much rather prefer the cash so the card sits in the drawer. Now, you can actually sell those cards online. Check out the variety of websites where you can list your gift card for sale. There are also multiple companies that have kiosks where you can take your cards and exchange for them cash.

Get a Side Job

Now is the time that people are scrambling for good holiday help. If you have a couple extra afternoons during the week try getting a job at a local store or restaurant. Even 10 to 15 hours a week would help pay for all the extras you need during the holidays. If you work at a store, it also means an employee discount which could help cut back on gift buying.

Offer to Babysit

Take in some kids to help foot the holiday bills. Offer to babysit for friends and family to earn some moola on the side. This can be especially helpful for parents when they need a night without the kids to do their gift buying or maybe just an evening out.

Make Something

Do you have creative flair? Make something! With so many ways to sell handmade crafts online, cash in on your hard work and start raking in the dough. The holiday season is always a great time to start. People love buying homemade treasures for their loved ones. Start your own account with Etsy and put your passion to work for you.

Offer to Gift Wrap

Do you fancy yourself a gift wrapping artist? Offer to wrap gifts for others for a fee. Be sure to calculate exactly what you would need to make a profit after you buy your supplies. A lot of people will pay good money to not have to wrap all those presents.

Skip a Pay

Many banks offer a skip a pay for loan payments. If you have loans through your bank, check to see if they participate in skip a pay, and you can opt out of making a payment for the month. While the same interest still accrues and some banks require a small fee, not having to make your car payment or use a chunk of your monthly income for another loan could help you free up some cash.

Mom to Mom Sale

Do you have a ridiculous amount of kids clothes and toys lying around? Check for local mom to mom sales and get that stuff ready for a new home. Those hoards of kids items sitting in the closet could help you bring in extra spending cash and get rid of some of that clutter.

Cut Back

Look over your cable bill, phone bill, grocery bill, anything that you pay monthly and see if you can cut back in anyway. You might surprised that you don’t even watch those extra channels or that you haven’t used all of your allotted data. People waste a lot of money by ignoring the details. Look over your bills and see exactly what you are being charged and if it is worth it. You could be throwing away cash that could be better spent.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/10-ways-to-make-quick-cash-for-the-holidays/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/10-ways-to-make-quick-cash-for-the-holidays/How you can truly make a difference on Giving Tuesdayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/0Ywz4iUrkEY/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/world-vision-giving-tuesday/#respondTue, 29 Nov 2016 20:19:59 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76800Do you resolve to help the less fortunate each holiday season only to find yourself falling short? It seems inevitable every year. We plan to give to more charities and spend less on things the people in our lives don’t really need. Then, we find ourselves way over budget and ...

]]>Do you resolve to help the less fortunate each holiday season only to find yourself falling short? It seems inevitable every year. We plan to give to more charities and spend less on things the people in our lives don’t really need. Then, we find ourselves way over budget and far from the reason for the season. If this sounds familiar, you can make a change today, right now with World Vision.

Since its start in the 1950s, this Christian Humanitarian Organization has been working tirelessly to fight the causes of poverty and injustice while supporting humanity around the world, where help is needed most. Through the decades they have worked with Vietnamese refugees, developed fertile land in Ethiopia, and even helped bring attention to the AIDS crisis, but there is so much more. Their work has stretched across the globe, and they believe in unconditional love to help every child possible.

Someone once said, “Things given in love and kindness always have the effect of making those who receive them very happy.” This is what World Vision lives by. They give from a place of true care and concern for the wellbeing of those in need and refuse to let children be forgotten in the helplessness of poverty.

Some of their more recent work has touched the people of Albania where 1,284 boxes with clothing and blankets for children and adults in need. The winters in northeast Albania are often difficult with temperatures dropping below freezing. Yet, World Vision made sure those in need received items to help keep them safe during the inclement weather. Roma families in the capital city of Tirana were also given warm clothing in blankets, and Anxhela was one of the recipients. She, along with 50 other families, had been forced from their homes when the landowners pushed them out. They left everything behind and took shelter in a Transitional Emergency Center where the rooms were often cold which was hard on Anxhela’s three month old son.

Anxhela said, “The clothes I received, for my son, for me, my husband, and the blanket for the baby really helped.”

When Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines in 2013, World Vision was there to create the Women and Young Children Space in San Antonio, Ormoc.

A young mother, Susana, brought her daughter Roalyn to the center and was thrilled by the warm welcome they both received.

“My child is happy to come here,” Susana says. “There are toys for the children to play with. This is a safe space. Here I get to talk to other women going through the same issues as me. After the typhoon, we have so much to do to set our home. Here I got to know that we need to breastfeed my child properly so that she is healthy. We got a Breastfeeding Kit from World Vision so that I can provide better care for my child.”

Inside the breastfeeding kit, mothers received a bottle of water to help keep the mother hydrated, storage for the breast milk, a lunch box for food, a blanket for privacy during breastfeeding, and it all came it in a bag to keep the items together. In the space in San Antonio, there was room for over 100 pregnant and lactating women in order to maintain the health of their babies and unborn children even in the time of crisis.

I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Philippines with World Vision in 2014 for the one year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda (as known by the locals). I saw first hand the amazing work World Vision does not only for the emergency situations, but daily, for years, helping to improve the lives of thousands in many villages with infrastructure, education, skills training and most importantly – boosts in self esteem and confidence. Although I don’t speak the language, it really didn’t matter. The smiles and laughter of the people said it all.

I also had the unique opportunity to meet with the child I, at the time, had just begun sponsoring each month. Not only was I able to see how my monthly donations have benefited his family and his community, Prince and I spent an afternoon together, giggling and playing as if we had known each other all along. Although we had just met and hadn’t even had a relationship long enough to exchange our first letter, he was family and I loved him.

We also met with sponsored children who are now adults and listened to their emotional stories of how their sponsor families improved their lives during their up to 18 year sponsorship. They also expressed such deep gratitude for the unconditional love and wishes from a complete stranger thousands of miles away. The monthly sponsorship had such a profound impact on their lives, compelling each to strive towards their goals so they wouldn’t let their sponsor families down – so that the money and love they sent “would not be wasted”.

World Vision couldn’t make these miracles possible without the help of generous people offering donations. You can be one of the generous and help keep a child safe, warm, and healthy this holiday season. My own family has been blessed to have everything we need and so much more. Every time I argue with my son about wearing his winter coat, and wrestle his mittens on, I tell him how lucky he is to not want for these items. I also think about the children around the world that must face the elements without coats, boots, food, or even shelter. It reminds that it is part of my duty as a mother, a member of the developed world, and a person with empathy, to give back. It is hard to know who and how to give back, but World Vision is make it pretty easy. I can personally attest to the incredible change and betterment they can and do achieve with our donations.

Today is Giving Tuesday! Any gift given to World Vision today will be generously matched with a product donation from Thirty-One Gifts up to $2,000,000, so any donation you make will have twice the impact for helping families in need around the world.

The Thirty-One Gifts donation of product includes items like apparel, thermals, and totes. Last year, the Thirty-One Gifts blankets that were included in their Giving Tuesday match were used in World Vision programs around the world to keep infants warm and healthy.

You can choose any item to donate through World Vision today, but if you want to make a direct donation to support new mothers and their infants, I recommend the New Mother and Baby Kit!

If you can find it in your heart to give this holiday season, start here, start now while you can.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/world-vision-giving-tuesday/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/world-vision-giving-tuesday/Fun Facts From Pete’s Dragonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/zYzLnukZsTs/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/petes-dragon-fun-facts/#respondTue, 29 Nov 2016 19:11:00 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76807For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall ...

]]>For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliot.

And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliot seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.

Pete’s Dragon Fun Facts

Pete’s Dragon is actually a tennis ball…sort of.

The movie is a mix of live action and animation but surprisingly, the only thing animated is Pete himself. During filming, the actors had to know where to direct their eyes when speaking to or looking at Elliot. This was accomplished by using a tennis ball attached to a stick so the actors knew where to look and gesture. This took some getting used to for the actors who played Pete and Natalie.

Robert Redford rescued a horse.

(Say that 3x fast). Even though Pete’s Dragon is set in Maine, a lot of the shooting took place in New Zealand. On the way to set each day Robert Redford passed a horse tied to a post. Eventually they realized the horse had been abandoned and he decided to set it free.

“We were driving to the location and it was a long haul…and we came by this one area where there was this horse tied up to a fence and…we came by the the next day, same thing. And the next day, same thing. And I said ‘ somebody is not attending to this horse, the horse is being left to die.’ So we got out of the car and undid the horse, gave him something to eat and went on our way. So I hope he survived.” – Robert Redford

Finding the Perfect Pete was no small feat.

Over 1,500 actors auditioned before the casting director who narrowed it down to 150. 20 of those actors auditioned before Director David Lowery but he knew the moment he met Oakes Fegley that he was going to play Pete.

When he walked in the room he had a quality about him that was so thoughtful and yet transparent, so I could see what he was feeling and that was instantaneous. I was just like, ‘that’s the kid,’ And this was tricky…because in this case Oakes had to carry a movie for 89 days of shooting and he’s in almost every scene. We needed someone who could handle that with grace and skill.”

Elliott is furry for a reason.

Director David Lowery explained why Elliott is a furry dragon in an IGN article, saying that he’d rather have “the kind of dragon you really want to give a hug to” than a Game Of Thrones type dragon, which he described as “cool, but

In an IGN article, Director David Lowery explained that he wanted Elliott to be the kind of dragon you wanted to give a hug to instead of the menacing type dragons we see in many movies today. When he first announced how he wanted Elliott to look a lot of people had concerns but eventually Elliott was seen in his new light.

Pete’s Dragon comes home on November 29th on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand. Prepare for it’s release with these few fun facts from the movie.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/petes-dragon-fun-facts/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/petes-dragon-fun-facts/Five of the Best Surf Spots in Europe for Beginnershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/hclQgfhJLoM/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/the-best-surf-spots-in-europe-for-beginners/#respondTue, 29 Nov 2016 19:04:04 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76797Surfing is pretty tough – and as the experts will tell you, it takes a lifetime to master. But don’t let that put you off; everybody should try this sun-kissed sport at least once. While we are lucky to have many spots up and down the California coast to hang ...

]]>Surfing is pretty tough – and as the experts will tell you, it takes a lifetime to master. But don’t let that put you off; everybody should try this sun-kissed sport at least once. While we are lucky to have many spots up and down the California coast to hang ten, and Hawaii and Australia are well known for their big waves, turns out Europe is also full of places where hardcore enthusiasts and beginners alike can try surfing the ocean waves. Here are five of the best surf spots in Europe that beginners will love:

Biarritz, France

The west coast of France is a haven for European surfers. Bursting with high quality waves, it is also a sultry beach destination where celebs love to chill out in the sunshine. The two main surfing beaches are La Côte des Basques and La Grande Plage – of which the former is better for beginners. If you want an insight into the wider surfing culture here, you could attend the Biarritz Surf Festival which takes place every July. The area is sometimes known as the birthplace of European surfing, as American surfing enthusiasts discovered its potential in the early 1950’s. You’ll also eat well in this area, as there is plenty of delicious French food to choose from…

Jersey, England

This tiny island located in the English Channel is one of the best surfing spots in the UK. When the conditions are right, you’ll find many spots where the surf is good. The most well-known is St Ouen’s bay, which caters for beginners through its several surf schools. Jersey surf is caused by a groundswell generated in the Atlantic which pushes right up the English Channel. The only downside is the chilly water temperature which means you will need a wetsuit all year round. This is the perfect place for a British surfing holiday!

San Sebastian, Spain

From Spring to Autumn, the waters around the city of San Sebastian come alive with surfers and other water sports enthusiasts. This beach city in the Basque Country of Spain is a hub for Europe’s surfers, and the action is centred around Zurriola Beach. Here you’ll find a local surfing scene with four surf schools that are experts in helping complete beginners take to the waves. Along with spectacular surf, a trip here means you’ll receive all the warmth and welcome of the Basque Country. The food here is great and the city of San Sebastian loves surfers.

Lanzarote, Canary Islands

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast Morocco, you’ll find Lanzarote, the most northern of the Canary Islands. The two main surfing spots on the island are Costa Teguise, a purpose-built water sports resort on the east coast, and Famara on the west coast. Famara is a small, friendly surf resort with around 1,500 meters of beach backed by volcanic mountains. The best time for beginners to surf the waters here is between April and August when the waves are smaller. Other locations in the Canary Islands include Corralejo on Feurtaventura. Thinking about a summer holiday to this balmy Spanish island? Start your search now…

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/the-best-surf-spots-in-europe-for-beginners/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/the-best-surf-spots-in-europe-for-beginners/Disney’s Moana and the Power of Believing in Yourselfhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/SPDSxaFLbJM/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/disney-moana-review/#commentsWed, 23 Nov 2016 16:00:27 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76657Well Turkey Day is upon us. Along with all of the cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mashed potatoes and gravy we can stomach, there is a cornucopia of new films arriving in theaters for the holiday season. Disney’s addition to the line-up is the Polynesian inspired coming of age tale, Moana. ...

]]>Well Turkey Day is upon us. Along with all of the cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mashed potatoes and gravy we can stomach, there is a cornucopia of new films arriving in theaters for the holiday season. Disney’s addition to the line-up is the Polynesian inspired coming of age tale, Moana. An adorable film complete with all the Disney trimmings – there is an easy to follow story line, catchy tunes, gorgeous animation, cute characters for the kiddos, and plenty of “adult humor” for the grown-ups.

The story centers around a young girl, Moana, voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho. She is the princess of a picturesque and abundant island in the South Pacific. What did you expect? It wouldn’t be a Disney film without a princess. She spends her days going about the routine of island life – gathering coconuts, weaving baskets, singing, and dancing. However, like most of the Disney heroines before her, she longs for more. For reasons unknown, the ocean calls to her. She desires to know what lies beyond the reef, a place where no islander dares travel. Her father, in the interest of her safety, forbids her to satisfy her wanderlust, and continually attempts to assure her that the island provides all that she will ever need.

Despite his best efforts, Moana’s desire to explore becomes a necessity. There is a sickness spreading across the islands due to a grave atrocity committed against the mother island, Te Fiti, many, many years ago. Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, stole the life-giving heart from Te Fiti, and a darkness has spread, killing all in its path. The ocean chooses Moana to track down Maui and return the heart to Te Fiti to restore life to the islands. Along the way, Moana is faced with many challenges that require her to find strength deep within, believe in herself, and know that she is capable of anything if she puts her mind to it.

Although there is a lot to like about this film, I think that the message it conveys is the thing I like the most. Unlike the Disney films from my childhood, where a damsel in distress waited for her valiant prince to save her, Moana is a strong, independent female. During the course of the film, she realizes that she does not need to rely on a man to help her and she is more than capable of saving her world on her own. Hopefully, this idea will not be lost on the little girls who go to see this film. It is an important message in a time when women truly are capable of anything, and one that needs to be heard. The future of our world depends on it.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/disney-moana-review/feed/2http://www.surfandsunshine.com/disney-moana-review/The Perfect Vintage Dresses For Holiday Partieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/L9DQESMSwqc/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/perfect-vintage-dresses-holiday-parties-100/#respondMon, 21 Nov 2016 22:50:05 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76589It’s party time! From holiday parties to work parties, Thanksgiving is just a few days away and serves as the kick-off to the official start of the holiday party season. If you’re like most of us and looking for a new holiday party dress this season these vintage dresses, in ...

]]>It’s party time! From holiday parties to work parties, Thanksgiving is just a few days away and serves as the kick-off to the official start of the holiday party season. If you’re like most of us and looking for a new holiday party dress this season these vintage dresses, in festive shades of red, green, navy and classic black are perfect for all your holiday events. The best part? All of these vintage dresses are under $100!

Put some extra jingle in your holiday fund with coupon code BEST25 to save 25% on all of these dresses and get free shipping – THIS WEEK ONLY!

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/perfect-vintage-dresses-holiday-parties-100/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/perfect-vintage-dresses-holiday-parties-100/Introducing Mindfulness and Meditation to Motherhoodhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/PHmHA7_X2L0/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/introducing-mindfulness-motherhood-meditation-app/#respondMon, 21 Nov 2016 15:09:00 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76505I’ve never been the type of person who stressed out easily. I work best under pressure and generally plow through obstacles with the reassurance that there are few things life throws us at that can’t be handled if only we persevere. Then, the year 2015 happened. In the thick of ...

]]>I’ve never been the type of person who stressed out easily. I work best under pressure and generally plow through obstacles with the reassurance that there are few things life throws us at that can’t be handled if only we persevere. Then, the year 2015 happened. In the thick of it, life really didn’t seem bad but 2015 was the year of hurdles. In January, we moved across the country from Michigan to Florida, leaving behind all of our family. In March, I found out that I was pregnant and that I had a sub-chorionic hematoma – which we had no idea how it would affect our baby. I spent most of March in and out of the hospital battling the hematoma and extreme sickness. In June, we went home to visit family and my grandfather unexpectedly passed away and returned to Florida to find our home had been robbed. In October, my daughter underwent the placement of a sub-peritoneal shunt in her brain to treat a cyst and pocket of fluid that had developed at the age of 1.

It was about this time that the debilitating, leave-me-in-bed-with-the-curtains-drawn-migraines started. I didn’t see the warning signs then. I didn’t even see it when I sat in the stark white hospital room, listening to my doctor diagnose me with baby blues after my son was born. It wasn’t until she explained that your emotional health in the year leading up to your baby’s birth is one of the major factors in the development of baby blues. Then it hit me. That while I was busy pushing through and persevering, somewhere in the back of my mind these emotions were still there. Lingering. For eight long weeks, I battled extreme anxiety and depression daily.

As someone who had always been able to persevere through difficult circumstances, I struggled further with the idea that this was not something I could cure through sheer will power. It was devastating. At one of my lowest points, it left me standing in the middle of the chip aisle at the grocery store bawling uncontrollably as my senses were overwhelmed by other shoppers. Eventually the baby blues went away, but those 8 weeks were a wake up call that I couldn’t ignore the stress my body carries. Since my son was born, I’ve been experimenting with Yoga classes a few times a week and nightly meditation to help clear my mind. I’ve found the classes to be a mixture of empowering, calming, and exerting. The classes provide a time and space where I can focus on my physical health in addition to my mental health. Something I think so many of us lack as we enter motherhood.

But as a busy mom, wife, writer, and photographer, there isn’t always time to hit my yoga class and sometimes clearing my mind is easier said than done. This is why Dr. Tina Chadda, MD, a mindfulness and meditation coach, psychiatrist, and author, recently launched a meditation app called Akasha Meditation.

Through a mixture of Eastern and Western practices, Akasha Meditation aims to take a well-rounded approach to meditation, mindfulness and personal development by curating content focused on different areas of your life, like love, creativity, success, productivity, harmony and balance. It starts with a questionnaire in order to create a more personalized experience and then walks you through five organized elements that focus on different life themes.

Sometimes life throws us curve balls. Sometimes we find out that powering through doesn’t mean we’re moving on. Sometimes it takes something drastic to make us realize that the health of our mind is just as fragile and important as the health of our body. So far my journey with yoga and meditation has been an eye-opening experience, even if it is one that I struggle to master daily.

Have you ever tried yoga or meditation? What did it do for you?

Akasha Meditation app is offering 50% off the entire app ($19.99 down to $9.99) on Cyber Monday. The app is available for free on iTunes and Google Play for all mobile devices in the U.S.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/introducing-mindfulness-motherhood-meditation-app/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/introducing-mindfulness-motherhood-meditation-app/Child Loss and a Secret Society of Griefhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/b6ZHMUFcmfA/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/child-loss-and-a-secret-society-of-grief/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2016 18:35:23 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=75983I cannot think of any single word that can capture the piercing grief, the disorienting darkness of losing a child. It is an ineffable nightmare that leaves broken parents trying to reshape the pieces of their lives to accommodate the sinkhole of despair that has swallowed a part of their ...

]]>I cannot think of any single word that can capture the piercing grief, the disorienting darkness of losing a child. It is an ineffable nightmare that leaves broken parents trying to reshape the pieces of their lives to accommodate the sinkhole of despair that has swallowed a part of their world. For the women that have felt the weight of child loss, the depths of their heart and soul are endless stretches of emotions and feelings only they can truly understand. To those in the throes of grief, it often feels that everyone can see their anguish like a permanent black veil of mourning, but to the unknowing, it is unrecognizable. The world moves on around those clinging to the moments that have become mere memories.

For those who haven’t travelled that path or know others that have, the topic seems unapproachable. It feels almost superstitious to discuss and uncomfortable to ask questions, leaving it to remain almost like a secret society which only amplifies feelings of isolation and sadness. The agony of grieving parents tends to reside within the walls of their home where there are no prying eyes or questions. Where the radiating warmth of their child can still be felt in those small objects that once seemed so ordinary. Those parents, those women carrying the torment of their loss are people we see every day. They are people we know. It might even be you.

When an employee from our local hospital spoke to my Mothers Of Preschoolers group about pregnancy and child loss, it opened my eyes to the journey many women face. I was moved by the emotion that filled the room as we talked about one of the most painful and difficult hardships a family can endure. The idea of miscarriage, stillbirth, and even SIDS has always seemed to me a very personal matter that families dealt with in their own time, in private. As I listened, so many women around me nodded with looks of familiarity and cried the tears of knowingness.

I wanted to find a way to share awareness of the issue and maybe provide hope or comfort to other women. After much contemplation, I asked if anyone would like to tell their story in their own words, in their own way, and allow me to share with the world. What I received were the raw and amazingly honest words of three strong women that faced the hardest moments in their role as mother, if not life.

These are their stories, in their own words.

They aren’t meant to make you cry, although they will. They aren’t meant to make you feel sorry for them, and they certainly aren’t meant to scare you about the difficulties of pregnancy and motherhood. They are meant to be a celebration of the lives lost and the strong women that faced the pain and found a way to continue on in life. This is a chance to bring awareness to an issue that is so often shrouded in secrecy and spoken about in hushed tones as if it were shameful. It is also a way to give others that don’t know the pain, a structure to offer support to those in their life that are experiencing a loss.

Here are their stories…

Jessica’s Story

“I found out I was pregnant with our second child just shy of the ten week mark. I know that may seem late, but I was still breastfeeding our first child (11 mo at the time), so my cycle was anything but regular. Honestly, my emotions were all over the place. We had just moved into our new home, which was three hours away from all of our friends and family. Then, the home we so easily fell in love with quickly resembled something out of “The Money Pit” once we got the keys. It was safe to say, I was an emotional train-wreck, and my baby girl was about to turn one. Vivien was our first, and I didn’t think it was possible to love another child as much as I loved her. Conceiving Vivien didn’t exactly come easy, so I beat myself up for not being immediately grateful for this second pregnancy. Of course I was grateful for this blessing and excited to be giving Vivien a sibling, but I was also scared. Would Vivien understand? Would she feel replaced? How could I explain this to an 11 month old in a way she’d understand?

Sunday, November 2nd, I woke up and felt a little off. I felt like I did around week three or four when I was pregnant with Vivien. A little pinchy, a little crampy, a little like the feeling you get a couple of days before starting your period. I sent a couple of mildly-concerned texts to my friends, but I decided it wasn’t anything I needed to be too worried about. The morning went on, and I took it easier than I normally would have. My mom was up visiting so she helped with Vivien while my husband worked on the house. Eventually, my Mom had to leave as I welcomed more house guests and took them on tours of the new home. I remember thinking and perhaps even saying out loud that I was feeling a little off and would call my doctor if I didn’t start to feel better soon. A short time later is when I felt something. I knew my body, and I knew I needed to excuse myself. I headed upstairs to my bathroom for some privacy and yelled for my husband. The rest of the day, the ride to the hospital, the time spent in the ER, it was all a blur.

The hospital didn’t do much for me. I was bleeding heavily and a mother’s intuition just knows. I didn’t need the ultrasound technician to confirm it, nor did I need the resident on call to go over this with me. He did not have much bedside manner for this sort of emergency room visit and who knows if I would have been able to appreciate it if he had. My husband was amazing as was my mom (she turned around and met us at the hospital).

It seemed like forever that we were in the cold, sterile exam room.

Plenty of time to go from being numb to inconsolable and back again a thousand times. You cry because you don’t understand. You cry because you’re upset with your body. You cry because it’s not fair. You cry even harder because you wanted to love that baby. You wanted to hold them in your arms and kiss them and snuggle and never let them go. Your baby that you would vow to always protect, yet you couldn’t even protect them from your own body. You just reach a level of emptiness and despair.

No matter how many times anyone, including my obstetrician tried telling me it wasn’t my fault, it was hard for me to accept that perhaps it wasn’t. Hearing the statistics repeated to me didn’t matter either. Naturally, questions swirled in my mind. Every step I took for those twelve weeks played over and over and over in my mind…Did I over-exert myself carrying in groceries? Did I stress too much over the house? Was I too worried about Viv and not as excited as I immediately should have been? Was I being punished for feeling this way? The questions just kept manifesting and some of them have never gone away.

It’s been nearly two years, and it does hurt less. The raw, open wound has somehow healed. The scars on my heart are still there and always will be. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of the miscarriage. The child that could have been ours. I will always remember November 2nd, and I will always remember what would have been our due date, May 28th. I’ll always wonder if I would have had a son or a daughter. I’ll always wonder what their name would have been and what their cuddles would have felt like. You would have been so loved, sweet one…Our story does have a happy ending. I have since given birth to our second daughter, Eva.”

Beth’s Story

“We had only been married a little over a month. My husband and I decided we would leave it up to fate, but I didn’t think it would happen as fast as it did! At my 8 week checkup everything went exactly like it should have. The heartbeat sounded perfect, and that’s when I believe I first feel in love with my baby. Almost instantly I started to plan out all things “baby”. We decided that we would wait to tell the world until our 12 week appointment. When the day arrived, I was prepared with announcement ideas to share as soon as I left the appointment. As the doctor ran the probe across my belly, we saw our baby, but it seemed as if we couldn’t find a heartbeat. I remember holding my breath and waiting. The doctor said she was going to try a different ultrasound. I was nervous but still hopeful that everything was okay, and our sweet baby would be fine. The next ultrasound took forever, and I remember the look on my doctor’s face when she realized what had happened. She started to talk to me, and I don’t really know what she said. The room was spinning around me. My baby had no heartbeat. I was pregnant, but my baby wasn’t alive. As soon as she walked out of the room, I fell into my husband’s arms and cried. We both cried.

I laid there watching my husband’s heart break display across his face.

I had to have one more ultrasound done that day, and I was told that it was probably best not to look during the procedure, that it would be too hard. I laid there watching my husband’s heart break display across his face. I tried not to look, I really did, but I wanted to see my baby. I remember peeking through my hands covering my face. Our baby looked perfect, it had all of their fingers and all of their toes. My baby had the face of an angel, and I couldn’t believe that this perfect life was still in my belly. Yet, I would never meet him or her. My heart was crushed, and my body felt broken. I had no idea that you could feel this way over a baby you had never met. I felt jealousy towards other expectant moms who were continuing on their journey. I knew that it wasn’t right to feel that way, but I did. After my D&C the following day, I felt physically and emotionally worse than I had ever in my life. I avoided social media so I didn’t see babies and announcements and “bump dates” because it all hurt way too much. I held the few ultrasound pictures I had and cried. I had to grieve the loss and that was the only way I knew how.

I would love to tell you that this was the only time I experienced this type of grief, but it’s not. I eventually experienced another D&C, and a miscarriage months later. After these events a huge amount of fear and anxiety became my strongest associations with pregnancy. Then, I got pregnant again. I was told that if the pregnancy didn’t make it to full-term, I would have to see a specialist. Again, fear began to take hold. About 14 weeks along I began bleeding and cramping, and I went straight to the doctor. I cried on the phone with my dad while I drove. He said to me, “Beth, just because this happened before doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again. Believe God is bigger. Believe that He is going to give you a baby. This baby is going to make it.” A peace came over me. That day I saw a healthy baby, and he made it. He is two now, and believe it or not, we were crazy enough to have another one 21 months later!

My story seems so crazy looking back…So hard to understand why each event happened. So hard to understand why we go through such trying times, things that really change and mold a young woman’s heart. But no matter the outcome of your story, no matter what situation you might be in (loss, infertility, miscarriage, etc.) Don’t let fear of the unknown be what controls your life! I believe, personally, that faith is what really guided me through my miscarriages. Before having my rainbow baby, I had a daydream. It was a little boy, he was a chubby little brown haired boy, and he smiled at me and said “Mom”. I was so caught off guard by it, I started to cry. Of course, I don’t really know if it was one of my babies, but that day gave me hope for the future and helped me make peace with the past. That’s what I wish for all of the mamas, that you have hope for your future journey and that you’re able to make peace with the path you have traveled this far.”

Leah’s Story

“My pregnancy with George was very similar to my first pregnancy. I felt great, had a lot of energy, ate whatever I wanted to. I loved every second about being pregnant. I felt beautiful, I felt strong, and I knew this was my reason for living. My water broke at only 35 weeks and 5 days. I delivered George via emergency C-section because of complications. I was immediately shocked, scared, and asked for more time to think about it, but the doctor told me there was no time. The C-section needed to happen right then. I tried to stay calm and prayed that everything would be fine. Then, George came into the world on December 8th, 2015 at 5 lbs and 3 oz. He had a full head of blond hair, and he was the most precious thing I ever laid my eyes on. George stayed in the NICU for the next 9 days, and it was the worst 9 days of my life. I was torn between staying with George and going home to see my first baby who I missed terribly. Once George came home my life seemed perfect. And it was truly perfect for the next 4 months and 21 days.

On the morning that George passed away, he woke up at 5:30am, and I breastfed him, burped and laid him back in his crib where he fell back to sleep. Around 7:30 he woke again, and my husband brought him up to me where I feed him and laid with him until he fell asleep again. Around 8:30am, my older son, Augustus, got up so I moved George to the middle of the bed and let him continue to sleep. My husband and I had breakfast with Augustus, and I left George sleeping on my bed. I recall my husband asking if we should go check on George and I said “No”, that I’m sure he would be up soon. Shortly after, my husband and I found George not breathing. I immediately picked George up and tried to wake him. I began CPR and my husband called 911. I tried to stay focused and even to this day, I don’t believe I knew exactly at that moment what was happening in front of me. I believe I thought any second George was going to gasp for air, and he would be ok. I didn’t even hear the ambulance pull up, but an EMT moved me out of the way so he could continue CPR. George was eventually taken to the hospital where they were able to get a heartbeat, but it wasn’t strong enough. George passed away on April 29th, 2016. As soon as they stopped the chest compressions, I picked George up and held him at the hospital for the next 4 hours until the coroner came. I kissed him more than 100 times, and I cried and begged for my baby back. I still can’t believe I lived through that day. That drive home was the worst thing I ever did. I would never bring him home again. I was able to see him once more after that day, at the funeral home where they let me hold him again.

A mother should never have to give her son’s eulogy.

Having a funeral for your child is something that most people will never experience, something that is very hard to fathom, but it happened to me. It is a place I pray repeatedly everyday that I never have to visit again. A mother should never have to give her son’s eulogy. Parents should never have to pick out a tiny casket and urn, and the perfect poem to go on the program or pick out the perfect outfit, pictures and songs to be played. After George passed away, people would say they couldn’t imagine what I was going through, and that’s absolutely true. Most people, including my closest friends, don’t know the details of that day and the planning I had to endure. I don’t believe that my husband even really remembers that entire week, but I do. I remember every detail like it happened yesterday. I think about these moments daily. When I put it in writing it reminds me that it really happened and how much my life has changed.

When George passed away, I was still breastfeeding him. I had to continue to pump the entire week after. I dreaded the thought of having to pump each day, and I sobbed the entire time. I wore the same nursing bra that I had on the morning that he passed up until a week later, which was his funeral. I thought once I took it off, it was like I had to accept the fact that he was gone. The day after George passed away, I forced myself to go up to my room, and lay back down in my bed, in the spot where I found George unresponsive. The moment I stepped foot in my room, my knees gave out and I sat against my bed, crying a cry that I didn’t even recognize. How could I ever look at this room the same, how could I ever lay in my bed and be happy again? My husband helped me into my bed, and I laid there, and cried for the rest of the afternoon. I missed my baby. I just wanted to wake up from the nightmare that I couldn’t believe I was actually living. I also felt the need to have a conversation with my sister in law, who had a baby only a month older than George. I told her that I wished that it was her baby that had passed away, not mine and that whenever I looked at her baby, I would wish my baby was here instead. Believe it or not, she said she would think the exact same thing if she was in my position. We cried together, and still cry whenever we are together. She has become my closest and best friend, and I talk to her about George all the time.

I told her that I wished that it was her baby that had passed away, not mine.

Soon after George passed away my mother in law found a counselor that would come to my house. We would talk about how I felt like I was to blame. For a long time, and even some times now, I blame myself. I was the last one to be with him, I left him on his side sleeping. Why did I do that? He never slept like that before. Why did I leave him, why didn’t I just bring him downstairs with me and wake him? Why didn’t I notice any signs? Or did I notice signs and just not do anything about it? I could come up with a million questions of why? and what if?. A mother is supposed to protect her kids, and I feel like I didn’t protect him the way I should have. My last session with my counselor was very different from my first. I have become more accepting of what has been and what is, I’ve accepted that I am a parent that has lost a child, and that most people I talk to will never walk in my shoes or understand what I’ve been through.

The main thing that helped me get through the day was to buy grief books, books about children passing away, how other parents dealt with this kind of loss, and I started keeping a journal. Every time I write in my journal I cry, hard. I keep a picture of George in my journal so when I write I can look at his smiling face and let all of the emotions that I set aside each day come flooding back. I have learned a great deal about grief and the journey of mourning the loss of child. I have learned that there is no right way and that there is no timeline. I have learned that time does NOT heal all wounds. This wound will never be healed, it is a pain that I have and still am learning to live with each day. Is the pain getting easier to deal with each day? I wouldn’t say easier, but I don’t have a choice other than to deal with it, so I just do it.

I also began following SIDS groups on Facebook and reached out to other moms. I thought I wanted to talk to and be around people that knew what it felt like to be me and for a while it did help me to not feel alone. However, I had a setback in my journey. In August, a local mother lost her 9 month old baby boy to SIDS. I felt compelled to reach out to her. So I bought her a necklace to remember her baby by and dropped it off at her house. We began talking and I agreed to meet with her. I was hoping it would help me heal and also help her know that she wasn’t alone. I wanted to be there for her. She and her husband told me that her husband found their baby on the morning he passed away tightly wrapped in his blanket in his crib. They still consider it SIDS because there were no signs of trauma to his organs, that his brain just didn’t tell him to wake up when he couldn’t breath. I left there house more traumatized than I ever imagined. I know my story is sad and traumatic, but I found George just the way I left him, alone, with nothing around him, nothing that could have been the reason to blame. I couldn’t sleep for a very long time after I met with her, and my anxiety worsened. I took Augustus’s blankets away, and checked on him multiple times a night. I even went into his room one morning thinking I was about to find him under his blankets, not breathing. Of course he was fine, but I was shaking and could barely breathe. I truly thought I was about to find another child of mine dead. That was very hard for me to deal with. I still check him multiple times a night and have yet to give him his bigger blankets back.

I thought when I was out in public that anyone who looked at me knew I lost a child.

For a long time I thought when I was out in public that anyone who looked at me knew I lost a child. That they could tell by the look on my face, “Oh there’s that lady that just lost her baby.” I hated leaving the house. Other times I felt like I was standing in a room or store with 100 strangers and nobody knew the nightmare that I was living. Even driving my car, all of these people driving past me have no idea what just happened to me, have no clue the horror that I witnessed, and their life just continued like normal. That was very hard for me to accept. Eventually my perspective changed, and instead of going into a store and being upset that no one knew how horrible my life was, I started wondering if the person next to me maybe went through the same thing. Or maybe they experienced some other kind of tragedy, and they survived. If they could survive, so could I. I never wanted to leave the house, I felt the closest to George at home, and I can’t even imagine moving. I brought two babies home here, I feel him here, I still smell him here. Although my worst nightmare happened in my house, how do I leave when this is also the place where all of my dreams came true? It would be like I was leaving him and his memories here. I couldn’t live with that.

Ultimately, I believe that my beliefs have helped me accept what has happened and has helped me get through each day. Growing up I wasn’t very religious but I did and still do more than ever, believe there is a God and Heaven. Even before George passed away, I believed everything that happens in our lives is already planned. Everything that I was ever going to experience in my life was already set in stone. For some reason, I was only meant to have George for a short period of time, and that I was to learn something from this. I believe George was given to me and taken away to teach me a lesson. In every life experience, there is a lesson to learn. Do I know entirely what that is yet? No, I don’t. I have learned a great deal about myself, and I am not the same person I once was, nor will I ever be. I believe this loss was meant to change me, to be a better person, not a worse person. I will never accept that I have to carry this burden as punishment, and I will not let this tragedy end my life. Because the truth is, I’m still living. I’m still here and there are reasons for that too. I have a grieving husband and a child, Augustus, that still need me. They need my love, they need my comfort, my husband needs his wife and Augustus needs his mama. Augustus has been my saving grace. He has been my reason to get out of the bed in the morning, and my reason to get out of the house. He saved me. He helped me to realize that I am strong, and he helped me believe I could get through this.

I never believed I was strong, most days I still don’t.

The outpouring of love and support from friends, family and even strangers has been truly amazing. I believe that my story and the loss of George has affected more people than I will ever know. Anyone I talk to about George now all say the same thing, they tell me how strong and brave I am and that they couldn’t imagine what I was going through. I never believed I was strong, most days I still don’t. But my response would be that I don’t see it as being strong, because I wasn’t given a choice. I was not asked if I wanted George taken from me. I don’t know how else to be. I cannot lay in my bed everyday and hate my life. You won’t find me laying on the bathroom floor at 2 am crying and begging for God to give me my baby back or take my life because there’s no point. I couldn’t trade my soul to have George back even if i tried, I know that. I get through each day because when Gus grows up and learns of what he lived through, I want him to be proud of me. I want him to look at me and say, “I can’t believe you survived and still loved me as much as you did.” I never want him to look back at his life and think, “I’m the way that I am because my brother passed away, and my mom couldn’t love me for a while.” I never ever want him to feel like I stopped loving him. I want him to be proud that our family is still together, that my husband and I turned towards each other and not against. I’m not saying this has been easy at all, but you have to first and foremost, accept that nobody grieves the same. Somedays I’m sad and crying, and he’s not. Somedays he’s crying and sad, and I’m not. But we are both there to listen to each others fears, hug each other when we are sad and to continue to love each other even though we have experienced the worse loss of all. I couldn’t even imagine living through this experience without him. I need him just as much as he needs me.

I don’t know how to describe the true feeling of living with the loss of a child that another parent who hasn’t lost a child could understand. It is like there is a rock in my chest and sometimes feels hard to breath. You feel like at any second something bad is about to happen to you, someone else is about to be taken from your life. I can think I’m having a good day and then all of a sudden I see a feather or hear George’s name and instantly the sadness begins to roll down my face. When I am around other people with kids, my arms feel empty, like there is something else I should be doing. I don’t know how a situation will affect me until I put myself in it. So I’ve gone to the 1st birthday parties and cried when no one was looking, I’ve gone to my friends baby showers and prayed their happiness lasts forever, I’ve gone to the baptism of my godson and cried the whole time because all I saw was George. It took me a long time to hold a baby again because I feared that all babies would smell like and feel like my baby. How wrong was I? No one else’s baby will ever remind me of mine, the only thing that reminds me of George are the milestones that would have been. I look at his picture from time to time, and I am shocked to say that I have hundreds of pictures of him. How many people can say they have hundreds of pictures of their baby when they were only 5 month old? I also have 1 video that I have yet to watch. I know it will be one of the most emotional things I have done since he passed away, but I plan on watching it for his birthday.

When I am around other people with kids, my arms feel empty, like there is something else I should be doing.

For 6 months and 3 days, I have been without George. He would be just shy of 11 months old. What does my life look like now? Well my house looks very much the same, except the baby toys have been put in George’s room. His pictures grace the walls of each room, and there is a small urn that looks over our entire main level. It has not been moved since we brought him home after the funeral. Some other things still haven’t been touched. His room is still his room and will always be his room, even if another baby comes along. The clothes he had on the morning of his passing are still folded neatly in his crib along with the shirt I had on that day along with my husbands. The towel he used for his last bath still hangs on the hook in his room along with the hats that I took out for him to wear this past summer, there are 3 size 2 diapers that still sit in the drawer in my bathroom where I would change him occasionally, and the blanket he loved has been in my arms every night since he has been gone. I had a quilt made from all of the clothes I ever bought specifically for him. I knew I would never be able to look at those clothes again the same way on another baby. I guess it’s just one of the ways I choose to honor his memory. I also started a fundraiser with my husband in George’s honor, called the Spirit of Georgie. My husband and I began raising money back in August and will give it away to three families on December 8th, which will be Georges 1st birthday.

I have also gone back to work. I haven’t worked in 3 years, but I have been given signs that tell me I am doing what I should be, even though it’s really hard to be away from home most days. I also applied to school to get my nursing degree, and I was accepted. We are also expecting our third baby. How I even decided that having another baby was a good idea is beyond me, but maybe that’s an answer. There is a plan for everything and everyone. I’m trying hard not to be scared that any second I will lose this baby too. This baby is due April 30th, the day after George passed away. Some things can’t be a coincidence. I will be mourning the loss of my sweet baby George while celebrating a new baby. This baby is going to be here because George isn’t. I wouldn’t even be pregnant or working if George was still alive. George is my reason now in everything I do and has changed the direction my life was headed. Maybe that’s the reason that George was brought into my life. I may never know the true reason, but until then, I will be forever grateful for the time I had with him, and I wouldn’t trade a second of it.”

I could think of no better way to bring awareness to this issue than letting mothers express their own journeys. While I have not experienced such a loss, I do remember the fog of grief that settled over my childhood home when my brother died. It tore apart our family. My mother was never the same again, and my father would eventually commit suicide. I harbored a lot of anger towards my parents for their behavior. Then, when I was threatened with the possibility of losing my own son during a difficult delivery, my anger began to soften with the overwhelming relief of his wellbeing. For those brief moments as I contemplated my life if I lost him, I had just a microscopic glimpse into the abyss of loss. Only then did I realize how much I didn’t and couldn’t understand about the pain of surviving the death of a child.

There are not enough words in the world to describe the intricacies of a mother’s grief, but one thing we can all understand is the love we have for our children. It is a universal language that connects women. We know what it is like to love a child so much it feels as if we cannot breathe, as if our heart will break. It is that overwhelming love and the dark foreboding fear of their loss that motivates each of our actions. Those feelings are what drive us to tiptoe into their room and risk waking them just so we can touch their warm back to feel the soft rise and fall of their breath, much to our sweet relief. It is why we exhaust ourselves agonizing over ever decision and why we often blame ourselves when something goes wrong. That kind of love is what we understand, and it should be a reminder that you never know what path a mother has travelled. It is such a sacred relationship, it is crucial that we respect the journey, decisions, sacrifices, and feelings of other mothers. It is why we should raise each other up. It is why I wanted to help shed light on such a heart wrenching issue.

Here are some resources if you are in search of support either for yourself or someone else.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/child-loss-and-a-secret-society-of-grief/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/child-loss-and-a-secret-society-of-grief/Puerto Rican Pernil Recipe: Pork Roast with Adobo Rubhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/lKdDHdeB0ns/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/puerto-rican-pernil-recipe-pork-roast-with-adobo-rub/#respondThu, 17 Nov 2016 22:23:24 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=66991One of my favorite things about traveling the world is immersing myself in the local food and flavors. My visit to Puerto Rico last year was filled with scrumptious culinary adventures. Many left such an impression on me, that I begged Chef Raul Correa to share his recipes so I could ...

]]>One of my favorite things about traveling the world is immersing myself in the local food and flavors. My visit to Puerto Rico last year was filled with scrumptious culinary adventures. Many left such an impression on me, that I begged Chef Raul Correa to share his recipes so I could then share them with you. During our visit, he prepared a spread of traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Recipes for us that still to this day is one of THE BEST meals I have ever had. My favorite was the roast. Please enjoy this Puerto Rican Pernil Recipe and be sure to let me know how it turns out for you!

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/puerto-rican-pernil-recipe-pork-roast-with-adobo-rub/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/puerto-rican-pernil-recipe-pork-roast-with-adobo-rub/Asian Inspired Spicy Baked Fish Sticks Recipehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/1AALP5B0v0E/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/asian-inspired-spicy-baked-fish-sticks-recipe/#commentsThu, 17 Nov 2016 15:00:57 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=58982Today’s featured item is the Swai fish. I honestly have never even heard of this type of fish before, but apparently it’s insanely popular right now. Why? Well it’s a mild flavored fish that is budget friendly. I’ll be honest. This week’s creation had me wrestling with what to make. ...

]]>Today’s featured item is the Swai fish. I honestly have never even heard of this type of fish before, but apparently it’s insanely popular right now. Why? Well it’s a mild flavored fish that is budget friendly.

I’ll be honest. This week’s creation had me wrestling with what to make. I really wanted to try making a traditional Korean dish with this fish but realized that the meal would have probably gone against the “easy” theme for this series. I then switched gears to something kid friendly and finally decided on this Asian Inspired Spicy Baked Fish Sticks recipe. (Just remember to omit the Japanese pepper spices from the Panko mixture to make this kid friendly!)

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/asian-inspired-spicy-baked-fish-sticks-recipe/feed/35http://www.surfandsunshine.com/asian-inspired-spicy-baked-fish-sticks-recipe/9 Totally Doable DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideashttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/zG28lEvCxoE/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/thanksgiving-diy-centerpiece-ideas/#respondThu, 17 Nov 2016 01:12:23 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76184This post is sponsored by Frontier Communications. All opinions remain my own. I can’t cook so Thanksgiving is always a little more anxiety inducing than enjoyable. Instead of baking something scrumptious or trying a new zesty recipe, I prefer to do the decorating, and the center piece for the dinner table is ...

This post is sponsored by Frontier Communications. All opinions remain my own.

I can’t cook so Thanksgiving is always a little more anxiety inducing than enjoyable. Instead of baking something scrumptious or trying a new zesty recipe, I prefer to do the decorating, and the center piece for the dinner table is my favorite! I love to try new, fun ideas with items not always associated with Thanksgiving. I also try to work with natural items to bring the outdoors in, and of course, it is always nice to use free materials. After watching the DIY Network on Frontier FiOS last weekend (quite possibly my most favorite channel), I decided to look up some inspiration online. Here are a few easy DIY Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas to help you create your own masterpiece.

9 Totally Doable DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas

This homemade centerpiece comes from the 724 South House blog. She has instructions on making and staining this box and assembling the vibrant pieces. This festive creation is a great focal piece for a Thanksgiving table.

Instead of going for the traditional warm fall colors, try this beautifully elegant look from Stone Gable. Using white and blue pumpkins as the center pieces, the pale colors combined with accents of silver give the table a modern Thanksgiving makeover.

This easy addition to a candle can make for a great Autumn piece for your family dinner. Eddie Ross has step by step details to create this center piece. Use it as inspiration to add fall flair to other items around your house.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/thanksgiving-diy-centerpiece-ideas/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/thanksgiving-diy-centerpiece-ideas/7 Hidden Tips and Tricks for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plushttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/xnxl26ijp2Y/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/7-tips-and-tricks-for-iphone-7/#commentsMon, 14 Nov 2016 22:49:52 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=75763One of the things Apple has mastered well, is it’s understated technical capability. It’s easy to be deceived by the relatively simple iOS interface but the reality is that hidden behind the iconic rounded app buttons lies a wealth of hidden features. 7 Tips and Tricks for the iPhone 7 ...

]]>One of the things Apple has mastered well, is it’s understated technical capability. It’s easy to be deceived by the relatively simple iOS interface but the reality is that hidden behind the iconic rounded app buttons lies a wealth of hidden features.

7 Tips and Tricks for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

You Don’t Have to Double Click

Miss the ability to simply run your fingerprint over the home button to access your iPhone? You still have that option. Simply go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Home Button and select Rest Finger To Open.

While you’re there, you also have the option of changing the way it feels when you do “click” the home button.

Skip The Home Button All Together

Now you can skip using the home button to wake your iPhone all together. Instead, you can opt to have your iPhone wake by simply lifting it up. Toggle this feature on and off by going to Settings > Display & Brightness > Raise to Wake.

Find the New Camera Shortcut

Before iOS 10 you were able to access your camera directly from the lock screen. With iOS 10 that option seems to have disappeared but never fear, it’s just as easy and as quick to access your camera from the lock screen. Simply swipe left and opens your camera automatically!

Give Hard Press A Try

3D Touch is even more improved on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Five of our favorite “hard press” features include:

Hard press your Flashlight Icon to adjust the brightness.

Quickly post to Instagram by giving the Instagram App a hard press for access to a new post.

For quick selfies give the Camera App a hard press to open the app on the front facing camera.

Text your BFF on the regular? Hard Press the message icon for quick access to regularly used contacts or a new message.

Track Your Sleep

As part of the Apple Health program, you can now take control of your sleep with Bedtime. Bedtime allows you set and track the number of hours you need sleep. Set the ideal amount of sleep you would like to get each day, the time you need to wake up and which days you would like an alarm. The feature will tell you what time your head needs to hit the pillow each night and alert you at that time.

Tap the Options button in the top left corner of the display to change the alarm sound, and the reminder time. All of this can be set via the Clock app.

Make Movies Out Of Memories

The new photos albums automatically makes Memories out of your photos and videos. These collections can be played as a slideshow. You can further personalize the slideshow by going to Photos > Memories > Tap Video > Tap Video Again to access user controls > Tap Menu (The horizontal lines in bottom right.) From there you change the title, add music, adjust the length of your slideshow and even customize the photos and videos that appear.

Impress Your Friends With Your Photography Skills

This feature is reserved specifically for iPhone 7 Plus users. With the release of iOS 10.1, Portrait mode lives within the Camera app under “Portrait” between “Photo” and “Square”. Utilizing this depth effect is pretty easy. The key to using it successfully involves good lighting, keeping your subjects less than 8 feet from your camera, and placing them as far from your background as possible.

The closer you are to your subject + the further they are from your background = the more bokeh your backgrounds will have.

If used correctly, you will see your background defocus in real time and the “Depth Effect” indicator on the bottom of the screen will turn yellow. Your subject doesn’t have to be a person either. Up your food, flower and still life photography game! Especially useful for when you’re in a pinch and can’t change up an otherwise ugly background (like my laundry!)

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/7-tips-and-tricks-for-iphone-7/feed/1http://www.surfandsunshine.com/7-tips-and-tricks-for-iphone-7/How to Deep Fry a Turkey Without Burning Down Your Garagehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/pMcGFjeQIX8/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/how-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-without-burning-down-your-garage/#respondMon, 14 Nov 2016 22:00:00 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=75981Have you thought about deep frying a turkey, but you are fearful you might burn something down? That is actually a legitimate concern. It can easily happen if you don’t do your research and carelessly toss a turkey into the deep fryer without much thought. We have been deep frying ...

]]>Have you thought about deep frying a turkey, but you are fearful you might burn something down? That is actually a legitimate concern. It can easily happen if you don’t do your research and carelessly toss a turkey into the deep fryer without much thought. We have been deep frying our turkeys for years, and we have a few quick tips and instructions to help you deep fry your first turkey.

Before you get started, be sure to have everything you need long before Thanksgiving Day. Deep frying is relatively quick compared to traditional oven baking, but if you don’t have everything ready ahead of time, a mistake could mean you end up without a turkey or worse… a visit from the fire department.

Before You Start Frying

Set up your deep frying area in a space that is open without debris on the ground or anything that could easily catch fire. It is best to do it in an open area without an enclosure because if something does go wrong and flames shoot upwards, it could easily catch a ceiling or roof on fire. Also be sure that children and pets cannot get near the frying pot.

Once you have your area set up, you’ll want to measure exactly how much oil you will need because if you don’t, placing the turkey in too much oil could cause some to splash out, hit the open flame and cause a fire.

How to determine how much oil you will need

Put the turkey in the empty pot, fill it with water until the turkey is immersed but not so much that it will cause splash over. Pull the turkey out then mark the waterline. Don’t fill the oil over this mark.

Use a meat injector

To make your turkey extra tasty, try using a meat injector and adding marinade of your choice. We sauté garlic in butter then use that to inject it into the turkey in various spots. Mrs. Happy Homemaker has an incredible recipe for meat injection. Her Homemade Butter Creole Injection Marinade is a delicious option to make your deep fried turkey even more heavenly tasting.

Ready to Fry

Make sure the pot is dried and does not have any water droplets.

Keep the propane tank as far away from the flame as possible.

Fill the empty pot with the appropriate amount of oil and light the burner.

Let it heat until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You want the oil temp to be consistent throughout. You will know it is consistent when the temperature stays the same after repeated checking.

Before putting the turkey in, be absolutely sure that it is defrosted and wiped dry. If it is still frozen it will EXPLODE. Tip: Start defrosting at least one day before deep frying, but ideally, it should be longer.

Slowly put the turkey into the pot using either a hook or a deep fryer basket. Don’t DIY your own concoction to lower and raise the turkey. This could easily backfire, cause the turkey to fall and start a fire and or severely burn you.

Cook time should be 3 ½ minutes per pound of bird.

Pull it out with hook or basket when it has cooked according to the equation above.

Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. It should be 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Done! You’ve got a deep fried turkey.

While it may be somewhat intimidating to deep fry your turkey, it is actually faster and makes it much juicier and more tender. You might even be able to talk the men into hanging out in the garage to cook the bird while you focus on the 500 other things you have going on. If you happen to be the organized type, and you have everything done ahead of time, let your hubby do the deep frying and you can enjoy a glass of wine with the girls.

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/how-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-without-burning-down-your-garage/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/how-to-deep-fry-a-turkey-without-burning-down-your-garage/Creating The Best Family Traditions with Mealshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/u4t04PAiEbs/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/creating-best-family-traditions-bertolli-meals/#respondSat, 12 Nov 2016 22:38:00 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=75920Compensation was provided by Bertolli Frozen Meals. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Bertolli Frozen Meals. Growing up my parents both worked crazy hours to put food on the table and clothes on their kids. The only time I ...

]]>Compensation was provided by Bertolli Frozen Meals. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Bertolli Frozen Meals.

Growing up my parents both worked crazy hours to put food on the table and clothes on their kids. The only time I really remember seeing my dad was at the dinner table. He usually sat at the head of the table, looking exhausted, but no matter how tired he was we always gathered around the dinner table together as my mom served fresh, home-cooked food family style. There we talked about our days and filled our parents in about school. I didn’t realize how important that ritual would become to us.

Even as grown adults with families of our own we still gathered together every Sunday to eat dinner with my parents. Each year the number of place settings grow. The dinners are noisier and more chaotic as everyone shares in their families stories. It’s where we catch up, we tease and we celebrate. It’s where we told our family we decided to join the Military and it’s where we told them we would be moving across the country.

Now that I live in Florida, these family dinners are one of the things I look forward to most on trips home. I’m home visiting family now and even though our lives are busier than ever my family still manages to surround the table together.Not only did it instill a sense of tradition we would continue well into adulthood it also influenced the way I cook for my family today. The majority of nights I cook using fresh ingredients and serve home made dishes. We always joke that we may not be Italians but we tend to dine like “Mangia” with our love of fresh ingredients, pasta dishes and family-style dinners.

This year, Bertolli is encouraging people to live Mangia and eat like Italians do. We all know that Italians love their pasta, but did you know that one-quarter of Italians eat pasta on a daily basis, compared to just two percent of Americans? But what Italians do even better than Americans, is surround their tables with people they love.

Eighty-four percent of Italians eat at the table with family, and 70 percent of Italians eat family-style, compared to 31 percent of Americans who eat family style.

These days we’re busier than ever but there are ways to make dining like an Italian easier.Bertolli’s authentic frozen meals make cooking dinner easy as pie. They recently introduced a completely reformulated line of authentic Italian skillet meals that feature a recipe-like, simple ingredient list with transparent packaging that offers a look inside the bag.

My family recently tried the Chicken Florentine and Farfalle and the recipe has just four components: Sauce, Cooked Pasta, Seasoned White Meat Chicken and Spinach. As someone who usually turned their nose up at frozen food, my family has been eating Bertolli frozen meals for quite some time because the ingredients truly taste delicious and authentic. But what’s just as important is that they’re cooked in just 10-12 minutes – so no matter how crazy our days are, it’s easy to put a meal on the table that we can all gather around together and enjoy.

1.These results are from an online survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Bertolli of over 2,000 nationally representative individuals in the United States and Italy. The U.S. survey with 1,074 completes was conducted between July 28-29, 2016. The Italy survey of 1,013 individuals was conducted from July 29 – August 4, 2016. The margin of error in each country is +/-3.1%
2.These results are from an online survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Bertolli of over 2,000 nationally representative individuals in the United States and Italy. The U.S. survey with 1,074 completes was conducted between July 28-29, 2016. The Italy survey of 1,013 individuals was conducted from July 29 – August 4, 2016. The margin of error in each country is +/-3.1%

]]>http://www.surfandsunshine.com/creating-best-family-traditions-bertolli-meals/feed/0http://www.surfandsunshine.com/creating-best-family-traditions-bertolli-meals/8 Fun Trivia Tidbits From Finding Doryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SurfAndSunshine/~3/FCoS_FzSjB4/
http://www.surfandsunshine.com/8-fun-trivia-tidbits-finding-dory-trivia/#respondFri, 11 Nov 2016 23:57:00 +0000http://www.surfandsunshine.com/?p=76105From the Academy Award®–winning creators of Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo comes the next chapter in an epic undersea adventure that began with Finding Nemo. When Dory, the forgetful blue tang (Ellen DeGeneres), suddenly remembers she has a family who may be looking for her, she, Marlin and Nemo take off on a life-changing quest ...

From the Academy Award®–winning creators of Disney•Pixar’s Finding Nemo comes the next chapter in an epic undersea adventure that began with Finding Nemo. When Dory, the forgetful blue tang (Ellen DeGeneres), suddenly remembers she has a family who may be looking for her, she, Marlin and Nemo take off on a life-changing quest to find them…with help from Hank, a cantankerous octopus (make that septpus); Bailey, a beluga whale who’s convinced his biological sonar skills are on the fritz; and Destiny, a nearsighted whale shark.

So much of what we loved about Finding Nemo is brought to use again in Finding Dory along with some great new characters to keep it interesting. Check out these 8 Fun Facts from Finding Dory.

8 Fun Trivia Tidbits From Finding Dory

Despite the 13 year gap between Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, Findy Dory takes place just one year after the events of Finding Nemo.

Although the film is titled Finding Dory, the blue tang and her friends are actually searching for Dory’s parents but along the way she ultimately finds herself.

The scene where Dory first meets Marlin is taken straight from the first film, but is shown from Dory’s perspective.

In Finding Dory we learn that a lot of Dory’s unusual behavior in the first film suggest that she hatched in an aquarium.

Hank, the grouchy but tender-hearted Octopus has only seven tentacles because the animators realized they could not fit eight onto his body. They had to write this loss into his backstory to account for the missing limb. The film is set one year after the events of Finding Nemo (2003), forgetting the 13-year gap between their releases.

Bonus: Hank actually made a cameo in The Good Dinosaur.

As with all Disney films, characters from other Pixar films make cameos as visitors to the Marine Institute. Among the visitors are children from the daycare in Toy Story 3, teenagers from Inside Out and even patients to the Dentists office in Finding Nemo.

The tag “A113” appears in All Pixar movies as a reference to the Cal Arts room where many of the animators from Pixar Studios attended. In Finding Dory, the tags on the sea lions Rudder and Fluke have “A1” and “13” on their tails.

Finding Dory releases on Digital HD on October 25th and Blu-Ray & DVD on November 15th.